Equipment for airplane landing fields or terminals



" Aug. 11; 1931. AIQFICALLISON 1,818,841

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EQUIPMENT FOR AIRPLANE LANDING FIELDS OR TERIINALS I iled Feb. 19. 1929 z snee'ts-sneez 1 AF :QIVENTOR 077;

ATTO RN EYS Aug. 11, 1931. A. F. CALLISON Filed Feb. 19; 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR 077 ATTORNEYS QRv SkQ f 15 ing an airp Patented Aug. 11, 1931 PATENT OFFICE ABNER I. GALLISON, OF NEW YOBK,,N. Y.

'EQUIIMENT FOR LANDING FIELDS R TERMINALS Application filed February 19, 1929. Serial No. 341,064.

This invention relates to improved equipment for airplane landing fields or terminals and, among other objects, aims to rovide improved loading and unloading i acilities to handle incoming and outgoing assengers and with the trafiic on the landing field and without danger of serious accidents.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein one practicable embodiment of the invention is shown,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a typical landing field in which the etiuipment is installed and showane spotted in loading or unloading position; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional line 22 of Fig. 1.

The modern transportation demands on airplane traflic require special equipment at the landing fields to handle both cargo and passengers". Nearly all fields are now equipped with a passenger station located at one side or edge so as not to conflict with the 25 landing space. It has been necessary for outgoin and incomin passengers to walk on the eld between t e station and the plane and to transfer'baggage, freight, express, mail or other cargo across the landing sur face. This, of course, involves a serious hazard because of possible conflict with other airplanes while they are landing and the consequent danger of accidents. It is a great desideratum that the landing field be kept clear of all extraneous 'trafiic, especially if space is limited as is usually the case. This invention, therefore, aims to provide improved equipment expeditiously to handle both passengers and cargo without entailing any of the foregoing hazards.

Referring particularly to the drawings,

view taken on the there is shown a section of a landing field.

10 having a main relatively wide subway or tunnel 11 leading from the depot preferably crosswise the field. This subway or tunnel is sufliciently wide to accommodate both passenger and cargo trafiic to and from the planes. The length of the subway is such that two or more planes can be spotted above and across it at safe distances apart cargo without conflicting landing surface 10 to guide and from the depot (not shown) so as to be loaded or unloaded. It is contemplated that a an outgoing plane shall be receiving its load while an incoming plane is discharging its load, thus making t desirable to have at least two stations. I

Herein, the main subway 11 is shown as having lateral, branch tunnels 12 and 13, one for passengers and the other for cargo at a loadin station. Two such branch tun.- nels are desirable for loading certain types of planes later to be described. The idea is to permit the loading or unloading operations to proceed at the station without interfering with the traflic in the main subway and also to enable the cargo and the passengers to be transferred to the fuselage of the plane.

I'haVe'shown an airplane 14 of the same general design as that shown and claimed in my copending applications, Serial No. 135,731, filed Sept. 16, 1926, and Serial No. 135,732, filed Sept. 16, 1926. Hence, detailed description is necessary. The fuselag'e has a flared cargo space 15 opening through the bottom to receive special tapered containers 16 and rear compartments for clerks, mail, passengers and baggage, doors being provided on each side of the rear compartments. The lane is adapted to be spotted over the maln tunnel with the cargo space above the cargo tunnel 12. For this purpose, guides 17 inthe form of trough-shaped blocks are fixed on the the landing wheels of the plane. Further, the tail end is adapted to be lifted by suitable means, later to be described, to bring the floor on a level.

Thus positioned, the passenger tunnel 13 is parallel with and at one side of the fuselage.

In the present example, there is shown a cargo elevator 18, conveniently of the hydraulic plunger type arranged within the cargo tunnel, the platform adapted to be lowered to the floor level, so that a live skid 19 carrying a container 16 canbe rolled or deposited on it. The live skid has ordinar swivel wheels so that a commercial lift truc may be driven under it to carry the cargo through the tunnel 11. Also, the. wheels permit it to be shifted about on the platform 10 whereby the upper end of the container will guide ltself into the cargo space if it should happen to be a little out of line with it. The container is, of course, lifted and locked in its com artment before the elevator is lowered. gvhen this elevator is not in use the platform may be elevated to cover the elevator well and preserve the continuity of the landing surface.

There is also provided an elevator in the passenger tunnel 13 of the same general t as the cargo elevator. However, this 0 evator prefera ly has a pawenger cage 21 and a roof 22 to shield the passengers. The platform is ada ted to be raised to about the oor level of efuselage so thatthe assengers can walk across a ang lank 23 1nto the side door of the fuse age not shown). When this elevator is lowered the roof covers the well and preserves the continuitg of the field. Both of the elevators prefera ly have the ordinary cage extensions below their platforms to help guide them and also to close the passageways.

Now referring to the illustrated means for raisin the tail of the plane, there is shown a p unger 24 of the same type as the elevator plungers. At a fixed distance to the rear of the cargo space, there is shown a flared or conical plunger guide or de ression 25 in the bottom of the fuselage. he ar- V rangement is such that the plunger, when it .be controlled by an attendant covered rises, will spot the fuselage perfectl both fore and aft and will also spot the ta" laterally. Thus, the plane is practically anchorcd in the exact spotted position.

In someinstances, it may be desirable toemploy an ordinary lift truck on the field to lift and spot thetail of the plane. For this purpose, there is shown a bracket 26 having a downward projection 27 adapted to en age a recess or hole in the lift truck plat orm (not shown Both of e elevators and the lunger may em a common control box 28 accessible through a openin 29 in the roof of the cargo tunnel. t will be understood that ordinary valves will be a in case the plungers are hydraulically or pneumatically driven. It is unnecessary to that automatic electric or other pumps may be used for a complete In the description of the apparatus, the loading operations were fully explained. It will, of course, be understood that the unloading operations also require that the rrangedin the control box' to take care of passengers and cargo traflic.

Also, this invention provides a means to thorized persons so that pilots can sured of ample landing space Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, itis not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly, since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

What I claim is:-

1. In a landing field, a subway for as sengers and cargo; means to spot a p ane above the subway; means to transfer the passengers and cargo from the subway to the fuselage of the plane; and means to engage the rear end of the plane and hold it in spotted position while the load is being transferred.

2. In a landing field, a cargo subway; and

the transfer to keep the field clear of all vehicles and Ipenauasan elevator for transferring the cargo from the subway directly into a plane above and adapted to be lowered below the surface of the ground so as not to interfere with trafiic.

3. In a landing field, an underground sub.- way; gui means on' the ound for spotting a p ane above the su wa and f senger elevator to transfer passengers from a the subway above the ground level ad acent to a assenger com artment in the fuselage. 5. in a landing eld an elevator ada ted to be hoisted to the level of an airp ane fuselage; means cooperating with the landmg gear to spot the plane with reference to the elevator platform; and means to support the fusel in loading position. p

6. In a anding field, an elevator adapted to be hoisted above the gronndto the level of an airplane fuselage so that the load may be transferred thereto and to be lowered below the und level so that it will not planes be The procedure is the interfere with plane traflic; means reverse of for loading. On landing adjacent to the elevator to spot a plane in. fields where thetnfic is heavy there may 1 podtion; and separate means to be as man such and unloading eta.- hold the plane in spotted position. tioals ls width of e field will rmit. 7. In a landing field, a pair of elevators, The tunnel 11 will be sufiieien y wide one to deposit cargo containers directly into an open bottomed fuselage, and the other to lift passengers, baggage and the like to 1 a level with a door at one side thereof; guiding means on the field for the land ng 5 wheels of the plane; and mechanlcal l fting means co-operatin with the tail portion 0 the plane to lift t e fuselage to a substantially level position as well as to spot the plane with reference to the elevators.

1o 8. In a landing field, apair of elevators, one to deposit cargo containers directl into an open bottomed fuselage, and the ot er to lift passengers, baggage and the like to a level -with a door at one side thereof" a grooved or trough-shaped guiding-mem err on the field for a landing wheel of the plane; and an elevating lunger co-operating with the tail portion 0 the plane to lift the fuselage to a substantially level position as well as to spot the plane with reference to the elevators.

9. In a landing field, a main subway for both passengers and cargoleadin to the loading stations; a pair of spac lateral tunnels under a station; elevators in said lateral tunnels to lift passengers and cargo to proper loading posltions; and means to spot an airplane correctly with respect to the elevators.

3o 10. In a landing field, a cargo subway under the field; a cargo elevator having a platform adapted to be lowered to the floor level of the subway and arranged to lift cargo containers to loading position; and a 85 live'skid on the elevator platform to permit the cargo to be shifted.

11. In a landingfield for passenger and cargo planes; a subway; plunger-operated passenger and cargo elevators; means to spot a plane with reference to said elevators, includin a lifting plunger; and control means or said elevators and said plunger accessible from the landing surface. 7

12. In a landing field, a cargo subway under the field; a car 0 elevator in said subway having a plat orm adapted to be lowered to the floor of the subway and arranged to lift cargo containers to loaded posltion infthe fuselage of a plane; and a m wheeled skid supporting a cargo container on the elevator platform .to permit automatic adjustment of. the container as it enters the fuselage through the bottom thereof.

In-testimon that I claim the foregoingas my own, I ave hereto aflixed my s1gna-.

ture.

- ABNER F. CALLISON. 

